The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-07-07
OUR MAN ON THE OUTSIDE.
CHIPS FROM A. HATCHETT.

Last week We got, not only entirely
Is outside the paper, but we got outside
the county and State We took trip to
Virginia in company with tobacco drum
mer but we don't propose 10 go with him
any more. He is a very good fellow and
talks we'll, but we cannot travel through
country filled with old friends and rela- |
tivcs with a man in such hurry |
to get tobacco, he won't give us time to |
shake hands with the old folks, or kiss the |
girl babies. We stayed at Boydton the first /
night, and in five minutes after getting !
there dozen or more of the boys were !
with Us, among them Z. I. Baskerville,
late editor Of the Democrat, who paid the
GOLD LEAF high compliment by saying
that with tquite large exchange list he
considered this paper the most valuable OF
all his EXCHANGES We noticed but small
change in the place save its extreme dry
ness-prohibition there not allowing us
the "option" of taking something for the
stomach's sake. Our readers contempia-
ting a trip through that section will do we'll
to note this and 60 prepared for they
will not find drop of the ardent" for
sale between Roanoke and Nottaway
rivers. Here we learned the navigation
of the Roanoke from CASTOR to GAINESVILLE
is regarded as a fixed fact, work on the
river having been commenced, and small
prospecting or pilot steamer having made
trip as far up as Eagle Falls with but very
little trouble or delay. For this enterprise
the people are indebted to Col. William
Towues, whose constant efforts through
series of years is at last to be rewarded
by the sound of the steam whistle passing
his home.
From Boydton we took Safford's road to
Lunenburg, a route we have been travelling
for more years than we care to put in print
and were panied to see the crop prospect so
backward-smaller and more backward
| than we ever saw it on this road. The
small acreage of corn and oats, While
healthy looking are at least ten days later
than around Henderson, while in major
ity Of cases, you could barely see the
| tobacco at distance of two hundred yards.
Occasionally, though, we came to fine
| fields of tobacco, among them one hundred
and fifty thousand hills of A. &. Ogburn's,
and about seventy thousand hills of his
brother, R. E. Ogburn, both living near
North View in Mecklenburg county. From
this neighborhood to Flat Rock in Lunen-
burg county, distance of fifteen miles,
the prospect is the gloomiest we ever saw.
On Flat Rock (the finest farming land in
Southside Virginia), the Bagleys, Barnes,
Bridgeforths and Manson's have fine crops.
| olc,l 4len no
is estimated at 80 per cent. of an average,
and larger portion of this can only make
poor and nondescript tobacco. Most all
of the red tobacco farmers in this section
have sold their crops at the barn door to
SPECTATORS at Blackstone on the Norfolk
& Western r. r., at an average of about
four ccnts-one firm, Smith q Co., having
bought about four hundred Thousand
Pound at these figures. Last years hue
cured crop in Lunenburg we found had
been marketed with few exceptions, being
shipped mostly to Danville and Lynch
burg.
From Flat Rock we turned our faces
homeward and as we Travelled along the
familiar roads, passing the moss-covered
=
the twilight with one who shall be name
, less here, thinking we were upon hrm
foundation" we breathed vows of eternal
love and fidelity in willing ears, memories
Of AuldsLang Syne,'
) Those happy days of yore
, Now gone to us forever more,
Crowded the brain thick and fast
But to remind of joys now past.
: In Brazil one wealthy planter has freed
his African slaves and settled them on his
, estate, while other planters there have put
, monkeys in slavery and have them making
hemp. In few years our enlightened ao
. clifton fanatics will be sending Missionarie:
to South America for the conversion OF thu
monkey. who will doubtless succeed il
: getting up a war for the freedom OF thI
/ new race of slaves. Whether they vii
endeavor to confer the night OF sutfrag
, upon these hemp makers, when freed
we cannot undertake to say, but will war
:, them the monkey is the most initiative O
u animals, and if their votes are to be con
L crolled. some attention must be paid t
~ their association.
We see from a letter in the Mecklenbur
Va.) Democrat written by Col. Wn
Townes there is at last probability th
Roanoke river will be opened for steam
. boat transportation from CASTOR to CLARK
Vile Why it has not been done before
~ more than we can conceive. No whel
III else in the civilized world is there such
u river not navigated, and from our know
~ edge of steamboating, and the OBSTRUCTION
y in the river, we hazard the assertion I'd
- norton of the river can be made navigab
- for boats carrying 100 hogshead OF tobacc
and making daily trips, at less than II
ID average cost of building FIVE miles OF ra
s. road. Land owners along the river CT
VI hope for no enterprise to help them as I'll
will and we trust they may be far-sight'
enough to grasp the opportunity while TIL
may.
E. w. T. Cheatham, Jr., is supplying Z
as market here with cabbage raised on 1
Mace near town. He sells to the deale
III at s. 90 to $500 per hundred, which is
te net profit per acre of about $4,000.
81 -
a. Monday the ith was a toct day in Hende
- son. The rain came down in torrents, al
IL license was granted to seven more la
A., rooms.
ne VT
rs, Suppose the excursionists to Norfo
nv fro,, Granville Vance Warren and Nee